The present invention relates generally to an exercise apparatus, and more particularly to a leg exercise apparatus and a method of conducting physical therapy for patients who are in wheelchairs with at least minimal active motion in the lower extremities.
The population in America is becoming older and heavier. The percentage of geriatric people (and therefore patients) is rising as the baby boom generation is reaching their mid-60's. Also, studies confirm that the percentage of obese people is rising in every age group. The shift toward older and heavier is even more evident in the patient population receiving medical treatment from physical therapists as this population tends to have more health problems and needs more frequent and longer stays at hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.
An elementary component to initiate improved muscle tone (whether normalizing hypotonic post stroke muscle or increasing myofiber firing and hypertrophy in a deconditioned muscle) is getting that muscle into a weight-bearing environment. Because of the foregoing reasons, however, it is difficult or dangerous to the patient, medical staff or family to try to stand the patient. In hospitals and nursing homes today many people who are too weak to support their own weight in standing are lifted by mechanical means (for example using a Hoyer lift) from a bed into a wheelchair, where they stay until lifted back to bed. The problem with this is that the patient receives no time with weight-bearing muscle use through the day because of excessive weight, paralysis limitations from neurological conditions, or deconditioning from cardio-pulmonary issues, orthopedic procedures or other general debility problems. These people would greatly benefit from leg exercise. However, moving them onto a traditional leg press machine is nearly impossible. Thus, their recovery is slow or halted due to an inability to initiate basic weight bearing and muscle rebuilding.
Preventing prolonged recovery due to the foregoing problems would therefore be advantageous. Doing so would mean less time spent in hospital and skilled nursing facilities as well as less financial burden on insurers (including Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers), the government, and society in general. Therefore, there is a need for a new and improved leg exercise apparatus that allows patients to perform weight-bearing exercises while they are sitting in the wheelchair.